


Hearts as One

by OIMDIL13



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Angst, Darker Than Disney, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Found Family, Magic, Multi, Nature Versus Nurture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-07
Updated: 2017-08-07
Packaged: 2018-12-12 11:26:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11736108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OIMDIL13/pseuds/OIMDIL13
Summary: The plan was simple: Bring the children of the most evil villians into Auradon, earn their trust, and then watch everything fall into place. Plans don't always work out like that.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my first Disney's Descendants work. This is a re-imagining of the first movie, in a much darker way than we saw on tv. I hope you all enjoy.

Mal looked around the loft she, Evie, Jay and Carlos had converted into their own with something akin to sadness. Tomorrow, she and the other three VK’s would leave the Isle of the Lost for Auradon Prep, where Prince Benjamin was hoping to turn them into useful, productive, _good_ members of society. Mal scoffed at the very notion. She would never become one of them, not if her mother had anything to say about it. Maleficent would never let her go. Not because she loved her daughter, Mal was sure of that, but because Mal was a means to an end, a way back into Auradon. A way to take back the thrown. Maleficent had formed the plan before even notifying Mal that she would be leaving the Isle, along with the children of Maleficent’s lackeys.

Carlos, Jay and Evie. Despite Mal’s general hate for everything that had to do with her mother, and Cruella, Jafar and the Evil Queen by association, Mal had grown quite fond of the kids stuck in this hell hole with her. When they could escape their parents, they would gather here in this loft. They showed off what they had stolen, or what Evie had managed to design, and planned for the days when their parents wouldn’t control them anymore, when they could be their own people. Of course, these somewhat happy times were regularly broken up with the times when the four kids would patch each other up after a particularly rough day.

 Jay never had more than a few bruises, maybe a cracked rib or two that needed to be wrapped. He said it only happened when Jafar hadn’t had any sales, but they all knew that Jafar had turned into a heavy drinker after Jay’s mother died soon after he was born. Under the influence of the alcohol, Jafar couldn’t tell the difference between Jay and the man he blamed for everything that went wrong in his life, Aladdin.

Carlos had always been too small for his age. Cruella, the crazy bitch, had often forgot that Carlos even existed quite a bit when he was young. It was only by Maleficients urgings that she began to actually care for the boy in anyway. Still, Cruella was out of her mind more than she was in it, and had taken to waking Carlos with a stick whenever he was a “bad dog.”

Evie, despite everything around them, had somehow managed to become an optimist. No matter how down the other three felt, Evie could turn them all around with a small smile and a few words. Mal was the only one that Evie had ever let see her pain. The Evil Queen was careful to never leave any visible bruises on her daughter, though Mal knew that if removed her shirt she would be covered in black and blue blotches just like the boys, but the emotional damage was almost worse. The Evil Queen was obsessed with beauty, and her daughter had never been pretty enough for her, which she made sure Evie knew.

Mal herself only let Evie patch her up. Maleficet, after seeing how her followers punished their children, refused to be seen as less than them in anyway. She had become proficient in making Mal wish she had never been born. After most of their “bonding sessions” Mal could barely drag herself to the Rotten Core’s place before she blacked out from the pain. Once, after Mal had walked the whole way there on a broken ankle, Jay had found her collapsed on the stairs. He carried her inside and wrapped her ankle, and they sat in silence until the other two arrived. Jay and Mal never spoke of the incident again.

All those years, all the time the Rotten Core had been there for each other in ways that no one on the island could understand. This place, the loft high above the ground, was their home. The only place the four of them could just…be. And they were about to leave it, maybe for good.

“I thought you’d be here.” Evie’s voice broke Mal out of her thoughts. The blue haired beauty sat next to Mal on the couch the four of them had lugged up to the top years ago.

“Better than being at home.” Mal replied evenly. She felt Evie lean into her, resting her head on Mal’s shoulder and intertwining their fingers. If it had been anyone else, Mal would have pulled away. But things had always been different with Evie.

“This is probably the last time we’ll see this place.” Evie nuzzled closer to Mal as she spoke.

“Not if the plan works.” Mal’s voice was even and steady, but Evie could hear the undercurrent of sadness there. “If all goes well, we’ll be back here in a few hours.”

“I guess you’re right.” Evie sighed into Mal’s shoulder. She hated the thought of Mal coming back to this place, of any of them coming back to this place. How could she not? The Isle had brought nothing but pain and sorrow to the four of them. “I wish you weren’t.”

“Me, too.” Mal started a bit when she felt Evie run her fingertips along Mal’s arm. Mal had taken off her purple leather jacket when she arrived, unintentionally giving Evie the chance to run her fingers along the familiar path from Mal’s elbow to her shoulder blades and down her back, where she would find a rounded scar. Of all the scar’s on Mal’s body, Evie hated that one the most. The one that was given to her after Maleficent had caught the two of them together doing what she had called “unsavory things” with one another. “Evie,” Mal said in a soft whisper, the same way she always did when Evie traced the path to her scar. Evie gave no indication that she heard Mal, but she did refrain from following the path further than Mal’s shoulder blade.

“It’s late, we should get home.” Evie said sometime later, after a long stretch of comfortable silence between the two of them.

“But we just got here,” Carlos and Jay walked into the room together. Jay carried a bag in his hand, which Evie was sure he had stolen from his dad.

“We can’t leave, now.” Jay said as he and Carlos huddled on the couch with the girls. Jay sat close to Evie, but Carlos made sure to leave some space between him and Mal, until Mal signaled that it was okay to move closer with a slight nod of her head.

“Oh, please. I’ve been here for at least an hour.” Mal rolled her eyes but accepted the small roll that Jay pulled out of his bag and handed to her. Apparently, he hadn’t stolen from his father. This time.

“Then you can stay for at least one more.” Evie said with a smile. Mal gave a small smile back, but the motion wasn’t as smooth as Evie’s.

“What do you guys think about this whole Auradon thing?” Carlos asked softly once everyone had a bit of food from Jay’s bag.

“I think it’s a terrible idea.” Mal said, never one to filter her words when they were in the safety of their spot. “Just another way to make fools of us.”

“Can’t be worse than here, can it?” Jay asked. They all stayed silent for a time.

“No,” Evie’s hand found the scar on Mal’s back over her shirt, “it can’t.”

“We’ll be fine.” Mal said. “Because we’re rotten,”

“To the core.” The other three intoned in chorus. Mal allowed herself a moment, just one, in that place with Evie’s arm around her and the boys beside them, to relax. They wouldn’t be gone for long, but Mal wouldn’t miss the Isle at all while they were gone.


	2. Chapter 2

“There you are, my darling Mal.” Maleficent greeted her daughter when she finally emerged from her room. Mal’s bags were already waiting by the door. Jafar, Cruella and Evil Queen were all hounding their children in various spots around the room. Evie caught her, but looked away just as quickly. “You are clear on the plan, I assume.”

“Of course, Mother.” Get in, get the wand, get out. Simple. Mal would be back before her mother could miss her, not that she would anyway.

“Excellent.” Maleficent smiled darkly. A sharp knock sounded on the door. “Time to go.”

“Evie, now remember,” Evil Queen held her daughter by the shoulders, “remember what you need to do so we can take our rightful place in Auradon. Find a prince, and show him how women on the wild side are.” If Evil Queen noticed how Evie’s eyes flickered to Mal before she could stop them, she gave no indication. Then again, EQ was more concerned with her reflection. “This will help you.” Evie held in a gasp as her mother placed the magic mirror in her hand. She had heard of its power, of course, but had never thought her mother would care enough to give it to her.

Evie nodded silently and joined the other three by the door. They all glanced at one another before Jay moved forward. He casually pushed the door open wide and the four of them walked out, heads high, shoulders back and eyes hard. Show no fear, one of the first lessons that everyone who lived on the Isle learned. Fear was a weakness, that anyone could and would exploit.

They put the bags in the back of the long black car before climbing in through the open door one by one. Mal paused before she entered the vehicle and looked up at her mother. Maleficent nodded once to her daughter, looking down from her place on the balcony and reveling in the small gulp Mal had taken in fear of her. Mal broke their eye contact and climbed into the limo, shutting the door firmly behind her. The boys had left the seat next to Evie open for her and she claimed it gratefully. 

As the boys began to wrestle with one another to get the assortment of food laid out in the back of the car, Evie moved to apply some make up to Mal, but the purple haired girl pushed her arm away. Evie, unlike Mal had expected, didn’t seem hurt by the motion. Instead her face was scrunched up in concern.

“Mal, are you alright?” She asked gently.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Mal replied with a roll of her eyes. Evie moved closer to her, gently caressing her face.

“You’re sweating,” the words rushed over Mal, but she didn’t respond. Evie glanced up towards the front of the car, and saw the fast approaching barrier. “The barrier.” It was common knowledge that the barrier kept magic from reaching the Isle. But what about people on the island who were born with magic? Maleficent, had very little access to her magic, but she was simply too powerful to be snuffed out. It only made sense for that power to be passed onto Mal, but she wasn’t fully grown yet, and had never been strong enough to reach the magic within her.

“E,” Mal called out to her. “The barrier. You don’t think...” It seemed that the two of them were on the same page but Mal was suddenly unable to finish her sentence.

“Mal?” Evie questioned right as they all felt a ripple pass through them. Evie heard Jay and Carlos gasp, but she was focused on Mal who had immediately covered her head with her hands but not before Evie caught a glimpse of her green eyes, glowing with magic the same way Maleficent’s did. Mal’s whole body was shaking. “Mal?”

Mal could just make out the sound of Evie’s voice over the pounding in her ears. She felt it coming the closer they got to the barrier, but she hadn’t expected the pain. Mal had never been a stranger to pain. She had suffered through burns, cuts, broken bones and even concussions, but this was a million times worse. Her insides felt like they were boiling, the pounding of her head matched her racing heart. She could ear Evie still calling for her, soon followed by the worried voices of the boys.

“What is going on back there?” The driver rolled down the window separating him from the kids with an annoyed tone. His annoyance quickly turned to concern when he saw the three desperately calling out to their leader.

“Her magic is coming back!” Evie explained hurriedly. “It’s too strong, she wasn’t prepared so she can’t fight it off.” Evie was talking more to herself than to the others, but it seemed the driver understood.

“Alright, change of plans.” He said and pulled out his phone. “Tell the Kind to meet me at Auradon General Care, immediately.” He said into the phone before pausing for a moment. “Code Dragon.”

Before Evie could question what that meant, Mal released a loud, pain-filled gasp that filled the air in the car. “Evie, I can’t,” she said before promptly collapsing into Evie’s lap, the pain overwhelming her and knocking her unconscious.

“Mal?” Evie shook her gently, trying to wake her up. “Mal!” All three continued to call out for the purple haired girl the entire drive to the hospital. Not a one of them noticed the magic bridge that allowed them off the Isle or the hordes of people waiting for them as they blew past Auradon Prep.

“We’re here.” The driver said and turned to the kids. “Move her to the door, I’ll carry her inside.” Jay easily shifted Mal to the back door, but he hesitated to turn her over to the man.

“I promise I’m not going to hurt her, son.” He spoke reassuringly. “The people inside can help her.” Jay looked to Evie, since Mal was out, and waited for her confirmation to hand over the unconscious girl. “Good, now follow me. Don’t talk to anyone, and don’t stop until I do.” The three nodded their consent and followed the man into the hospital.

 

King Beast rushed to Auradon General, his heart heavy. When Ben had presented his idea to him and his wife, Adam had been proud to see his son come up with an idea that he truthfully though should have been done years ago. Still, Ben was young and failed to see how the transition could negatively impact the teenagers being brought over. With that in mind, the Kind had made a few plans, in case the worse should occur. Code Dragon was possibly the one he feared the most.

It had been Fairy Godmother who pointed out that Mal more than likely had some latent magical power, considering that magic was passed down through the blood of the parents. She had the power, but her body had been without if for sixteen years. Neither of them wanted to think about what could happen when Mal crossed the border. Despite that, they had prepared for the worst.

The King could easily pick out the children and his guard among the crowd. Cody, the King knew, was one of the relatively few orphans in Auradon, but he had a heart of gold. King Beast had specifically chosen him to pick up the kids from the Isle. Right then, he was glad he did.

“If you think we aren’t going with her, then you people are more idiotic than I thought.” Evie, the King guessed, was saying as he moved up. “I can promise you,”

“Now, now, of course you’ll be coming with us.” The King stepped in, hoping he wasn’t interrupting a serious threat. “Please, as you can see this young lady needs immediate care, and her friends need to be checked over as well.” He directed to the nurse with a calming smile, nodding gently to prod her into action. She nodded in return and led the group to a room with four beds already set up, in a very secluded area of the hospital.

Mal was placed in the bed closets to the door, and the other three kids formed a wall by her side. King Adam watched them each trade a small look before Evie reached out and placed her hand on Mal’s shoulder. The nurses got to work on the other side of the unconscious girl, none of them brave enough to tell the three kids to move.

“The three of you need to be checked over as well.” The King reminded the kids, who again shared a look before nodding slightly.

“We’re not leaving her.” Jay said, his voice deep and dripping with concern that the King didn’t know a villain could feel.

“Alright.” The King agreed. “But please, the doctor’s need space to work around Mal. Just take a seat on the beds.” He realized that he was pleading with these kids, but he didn’t know how to reach them. He was somewhat surprised when they obediently moved from Mal’s bedside but he was grateful nevertheless.


	3. Chapter 3

The medical reports did nothing to ease the King’s mind. All four of the VK’s showed signs of malnutrition and dehydration, and at least a little bit physical abuse. The very thought made him sick. How could someone, even an evil someone, do something like to their own child? As he feared, Mal showed the worst symptoms of abuse. She was covered in oddly shaped scars, and even a few nearly healed bruises. Carlos, being the smallest, portrayed the most obvious symptoms of malnutrition. Jay and Evie seemed alright for the most part, but Jay was sensitive of his ribs being exposed. Evie showed the least aversion to touch, but even she flinched when one of the nurses moved to fast. Evie and the others, while not as wounded as Mal, had their fair share of scars as well.

“We need to start all of them on special diets, they’ve missed out on a lot of nutrients.” The nurse in charge addressed the King.

“And what of Mal’s condition?” He asked, his eyes on the purple haired girl.

“Physically, she is just as well off as the others, mentally and emotionally, we won’t know until she wakes up.”

“Which will be?”

“After her body has adjusted to the magic it now contains. By my estimates she could wake up any time between now and late tomorrow morning,” the nurse paused, seeming to consider her next words very carefully. “If you don’t mind me asking, Your Majesty, what exactly are you planning on doing with these kids?”

“Hopefully, we can give them a second chance.” He spoke more to himself than to the nurse. He couldn’t help feeling that he had failed these kids. He was the King of all Auradon, which included the Isle of the Lost. He failed to protect his subjects. “For now, let’s let them rest. Once Mal wakes, we can discuss what to do.”

“Of course, Majesty.” The nurses quickly cleared the room, and turned down the lights as they did so. The King remained by the observation window, watching over them.

The two boys and Evie shared a quick conversation before settling into bed for the night. Carlos kept shooting uneasy glances towards the window through which the King was watching, but Beast knew he couldn’t see out. Jay and Carlos fell asleep sometime later, both looking exhausted. Evie kept her eyes on Mal until she was sure the boys were out for the night before silently creeping out of her own bed. With a small amount of caution, the King watched as the blue-haired girl moved to Mal’s beside. He was shocked to see her reach out and tenderly brush some hair from Mal’s face. She whispered something to her before gently shifting the smaller girl over and climb into the bed with her. King Beast watched as Evie maneuvered the two of them into a more comfortable position, slinging her arm around Mal’s waist.

Silently, the King left the children to sleep.

 

_Mal was dreaming. She was sure of that. Otherwise this couldn’t be happening._

_Her first clue was the sunshine. The Isle was always shrouded in a perpetual raincloud, always threating to unleash harsh storms on the wicked people who inhabited the island. The light surrounding Mal was anything but dim. It nearly blinded her, shining off the lake before her. It made the rocks look like they were covered in thousands of glistening diamonds. Her reality could never look like that._

_The next hint came in the form of Carlos, holding a small dog in his lap that he was petting in an almost absentminded manner. As if petting a dog was something he did all the time. That couldn’t be true, because Carlos was deathly afraid of the animal, a fear that was brought on in no small part by his mother and her horrible stories of them when he was a child._

_Next to Carlos say Jay, tossing an apple into the air and catching it again. He was smiling. A genuine smile, not the smirk he was nearly infamous for on the Isle. No, this was a smile that made the world around them even brighter, that showed true happiness in his eyes._

_A giggle pulled Mal’s gaze to her right, where she was met with the shining brown eyes that belonged to Evie. He hair was longer, and her clothes were a much brighter blue than the leather she normally wore. That wasn’t what made Mal think it was a dream. No, she knew it had to be a dream because if they were on the Isle, there is no way Evie would have her arm casually wrapped around Mal. Mal could feel Evie’s hand on her waist, her thumb tracing small patters as she and the boys spoke words that Mal couldn’t hear. Mal was leaning into her shoulder, feeling more at ease than she had ever felt in her life. Even the times she and her friends had spent in their loft were nothing compared to the happiness she felt then._

_That was when Mal knew it was a dream. She couldn’t remember every being truly happy._

Mal awoke in the dead of the night, finding Evie clinging tightly to her while the taller girl slept. Mal was relieved to find that she no longer felt like her head would explode. With a sigh, she shifted closer to Evie before realizing what she had done and pulling back sharply. Evie woke up when she felt Mal pull away from her, instinctively releasing her. She sat up quickly, grapping at Mal’s arms to keep her from falling out of bed.

“Mal!” She whisper-yelled, hoping to not wake the boys up. “Mal, it’s alright.”

“Where are we?” Mal asked, her eyes darting around the darkened room. “Where are Jay and Carlos?”

“Calm down, the boys are right over there, sleeping.” Evie gestured behind her with her head. “We’re in Auradon, at the hospital. Do you remember what happened?”

“We crossed the barrier and then my magic, it came to me.” Mal finally relaxed a bit, the knowledge that her mother would be unable to catch her in bed with Evie again soothing her mind. “I’ve never felt anything like that before.” She shook her head slightly to clear it. “What happened after that?”

“You passed out,” Evie nearly choked on the words, “and the driver brought us here. They didn’t know what to do except to wait it out and see when you would wake up. They checked us all over and said they would discuss what to do after you woke up.” Mal nodded as she settled into Evie’s chest. She felt the taller girl release a deep breath and nuzzle into her hair. They were both asleep before anything else could be said.

 

As soon as Mal woke up in the morning, the King had been notified and she was immediately checked over for any lingering side effects of her magic coming to her. When none were found, the King was allowed into the room with the kids. They were all surprised to see that Queen Belle had come with him. The Queen, having heard about the children’s condition from her husband, felt that she needed to see them with her own eyes.

“Good morning,” The king’s greeting was met with silence and hard eyes. “I’m glad to see you’ve woken up, Mal.” Again, no one said anything in reply. “Okay, then.” King Beast sighed. “I know the next few weeks are going to be difficult on all fronts, but I’m hopeful that if we all agree to work together, we can begin to undo the sins of the past.”

“Sins of the past?” Mal asked, her cold voice shocking the Queen. “Is that what you call booting our parents off to a dirty, rotting island while the rest of you live without a care in the world?” Belle noticed Evie subtly move her hand so it rested against Mal’s thigh.

“I suppose, yes that is what I am referring to.” The King sighed heavily. “I won’t apologize for doing what I needed to in order to protect my people. However, I _am_ sorry that the four of you, and all the other children on the Isle, were forced to suffer because of my actions. I don’t know what you have experienced, but I can only hope you will be open to the help we wish to provide. Do you have any questions?”

“Why are we here?” Evie asked, her voice almost as cold as Mal’s. “Not in the hospital, but here in Auradon.”

“Truthfully, this was our sons’ idea. In his first official proclamation, Prince Ben decided that children on the Isle of the Lost be given a chance to live here in Auradon. He chose the four of you to be the first.”

“Why us?” Carlos asked.

“He believed that the four of you needed our help the most.” The King seemed a bit hesitant to admit that.

“What, exactly, are you planning on doing with us?” Mal seemed a bit calmer than when she had spoken before.

“Initially, our plan was to place you Auradon Prep so you could become accumulated to life here. That is where the four of you were headed before Mal’s magical mishap. Now, our plan has changed slightly. We still would like to give the four of you a chance to go to school, once you’re ready. Also, we would like to put you all on a dietary plan in order to help you regain some of the nutrients you have missed out on. It is our hope that since the school semester has just begun, you will be able to gain a true perspective of how life in Auradon works, and that when the winter holidays begin you will choose to stay in Auradon.” The King explained patiently.

“Choose to stay?” Evie’s eyebrow rose slightly.

“Yes. If, at the end of the semester, you wish to return to your parents we will allow you to do so. Of course, we hope that you will remain, but you will be given the chance to choose.” Belle answered Evie’s question, speaking for the first time since she entered the room.

“Anything else you would like to know?” The King asked. The royal couple answered a few more questions, mainly about where the children would be staying and how long they had to remain in the hospital. “I believe the four of you will be released today. If you are not ready to go to school yet, you will come to the castle with us until you are ready.”

“We’d like to go to school.” Mal answered for the group at large. She could see it in each of her friends. They were already forgetting why they were here. They had a mission to complete. They needed to be away from the watchful gaze of the King and Queen if they were going to steal the wand from Fairy Godmother.

“Certainly.” Belle said with a kind smile, “we will have your rooms ready for you.”

“I thought you four might say that.” The King also smiled at them. Mal was a bit weirded out by both of their overly cheery smiles. “We will escort you to the school and then leave you in the capable hands of the Headmistress, Fairy Godmother.” He noticed the discreet glances the four of them shared as he said the name. The four nodded in response and then the King signaled for the doctors to come in. They gave each of the kids a final check over before releasing them into the King’s care.


	4. Chapter 4

The ride to Auradon Prep was filled with tense silence. Jay, Carlos, Mal and Evie sat on a single bench in the back of the royal limo, across from the King and Queen. None of them spoke, though the Queen did offer a kind smile when one of them would catch her eye.

Queen Belle hadn’t known what to expect when she heard of the kids brief but surely frightening trip to the hospital. The medical reports she had read through had done nothing but fill her heart with an unexplainable sadness. How these children could have been so mistreated, the Queen didn’t know. The mere thought of causing her son any pain made her heart clench painfully in her chest. These kids, they had been abused and under fed their entire lives. She could only imagine the pain and fear each of them must be feeling, though they hid the emotions well. Belle could only hope that they could help the children heal.

As the car came to a stop outside the school, the four kids shared a look before the door was pulled open and they were let out. They were met with only Fairy Godmother and Prince Ben, unlike yesterday when the marching band, and half of the student body had been waiting for them. As luck would have it, everyone else would be in class for another thirty minutes, giving them long enough to at least get to their dorms. Since it was Wednesday, they would have class tomorrow but they had been excused for the day.

“Welcome to Auradon,” Prince Ben stepped forward. “I’m Ben.” Ben, like his father, was met with only silence from the four. He cleared his throat. “This is a momentous occasion. It is my hope that this day will go down in history as the day our two peoples began to heal.” It seemed that Ben was expecting some sort of reaction to his little speech and was sorely disappointed.

“Thank you, Prince Ben.” Fairy Godmother stepped forward, not noticing how Ben’s handsome smile slid into a deep frown before he righted himself. Only Jay noticed the shift in his expressions. “I’m Fairy Godmother.”

“As in, _the Fairy Godmother?”_ Mal asked with a bit of a smirk.

“The one and only.” Fairy Godmother smiled. “I’ll be in charge of the four of you while you’re here.” She missed the looks the four shared as she spoke, but Ben did not. “Now, while the doors of wisdom are never closed, the library is open from six to eleven and you may have heard that I have a little thing about curfews.” When the four nodded their consent, Fairy Godmother continued. “Now, Ben had to go back to class so I’ll be showing you four to your dorms. As soon as the school day is over, Ben will come and show you around the school.”

“I look forward to seeing you all later.” Ben smiled at them, every inch the perfect Prince. He smiled at his parents before turning and walking into the school.

“If you would all follow me, please.”

“If you four need anything, please don’t hesitate to contact us.” Queen Belle said to them. “Please.”

Without replying the four of them followed Fairy Godmother into the school proper. They traced a path through the courtyard and to the outer edge of the scattering of buildings.

“The four of you will be staying in Hall A,” Fairy Godmother explained. “Your rooms are on the top floor, while the kitchen and eating area is on the first. The first floor also contains a laundry room and a common seating area, as does each individual floor. This way to the stairs please.” The dutifully followed the Headmistress up the five flights of stairs to the top floor. As they walked down the hall, Mal noticed some of the names on the doors. Audrey and Lonnie, Chad and Ben, Aziz and Doug. It seemed that only a few rooms on this floor were occupied. They stopped at a door a little more than halfway down the hall. “This is where the boys will be staying, your name plate will be installed later today.”

Jay pushed open the door to reveal a rather large room with a table in the center. On either side sat a double sized four poster bed. “You’ll each have your own closet but you’ll have to share a bathroom. You’ll be provided with any school supplies you need, which Ben will take you to get later this evening.” Carlos and Jay entered the room and looked around a bit, before turning back to the girls. They each nodded once. “Come along, girls.”

They walked a little further down the hall to another simple door. Mal noticed that there was a room in between where she and Evie would be staying and where the boys were. That knowledge was oddly comforting. “This is your room.” Fairy Godmother opened the door for them.

Mal saw Evie’s face light up as they entered their new home. She had to admit, between their own room, which had a brighter color scheme but similar layout to the boys, and the one where Jay and Carlos were staying, Mal had to fight to keep a smile off her face. The rooms were far more lavish than anything the four of them had on the Isle. “The information I told the boys applies to the two of you as well. If you need anything, we passed my office on the way here. That’s where you can find me throughout the day.” She smiled at the two girls. “Welcome to Auradon.”

As the door closed behind Fairy Godmother, Mal and Evie collapsed onto one of the beds together.

“This place is so…” Mal trailed off, unsure of describing the place as ‘gross’ anymore.

“I know.” Evie agreed, smoothing out her skirt. “Do you think they actually want to help us?”

“Does it matter?” Mal scoffed. “We’re here for one reason and one reason only.”

“To get the wand.” Evie said softly. Mal nodded but said nothing. Deep down she almost wished that they weren’t there to do anything other than live their lives. But she feared her mother too much to forget why they were there. Evie reached for Mal’s hand and let their fingers tangle together.

They sat like that until a knock on the door announced the presence of Carlos, Jay and the Prince ready to do on the tour of the grounds.

 

Back in their own room, Jay and Carlos curiously looked around. The bathroom was much bigger than any they had seen before, and Carlos was honestly looking forward to using the high—powered shower. Jay had checked all the windows only to discover that they would all easily open when lifted from the bottom. Shaking his head at the oddness of that, Jay sat down on the bed opposite the one Carlos had claimed for himself.

“This place is weird.” He said, but the smaller boy didn’t seem to hear him. Carlos was fiddling with some sort of device in his hands. He hit a button on it and suddenly the screen across the room lit up, making them both startle a bit. They shared a look before Jay launched himself at Carlos, struggling to get the remote from him. Carlos refused to go down without a fight and which led to them being caught with Jay holding Carlos in a head lock when Prince Ben knocked and then opened the door sometime later.

“Are you ready for the tour?” Ben watched them both untangle themselves and straighten their clothes. They didn’t say anything to him, but followed him out the door to knock on the girls door.

 

 

 “Auradon Prep, originally built over three hundred years ago and converted into a high school by my father when he became king. Auradon Prep has upheld traditions of chivalry, integrity…” Ben prattled on and on as the four VK’s followed him around the grounds. They were shown the English, Math and Sciences, Technology and Elective Buildings along with the Gymnasium which house an indoor pool and track, a fully stocked weight room and a court that Ben said was used to play some sort of game involving baskets. Their last stop was on the on-campus store, which was in the basement of the Administrative Building. “This is a list of what you’ll need for class.” Ben handed each of them a separate sheet of paper. “If you need help getting anything, just come find me, okay?”

Ben watched the four of them walk off as a group before splitting into twos. The boys headed off in the direction of the notebooks while the girls went towards the pens and pencils. Although he tried not too, his gaze followed Mal around the store. He had been unprepared for the beauty of Maleficent’s daughter while forming his plan, but he was nothing if not flexible. If all worked well, Mal would be only too happy to take her place at his side when the time came.

Really, it had been almost too easy to convince his parents to bring the four villainous kids to Auradon. They were so sure of their son and his good intentions, they knew he would never put the kingdom in danger. Sometimes, Ben wondered if his parents knew him at all. But, then he remembered that none of this would be possible if the King and Queen knew his true intentions. They wouldn’t know until it was far too late to stop him.

Ben only needed a few weeks to earn their loyalties, something he was sure he could accomplish. Once they were on his side, Ben was sure he nothing would stop him from taking complete control of the Kingdom and the Isle. Ben wanted to be more than King and he was determined to break free from the shadow of his parents.

 

Jay and Carlos nodded to the girls from across the store. By unspoken agreement, they all decided to keep the Prince in their line of sight. If there was one benefit from growing up on an island filled with the most terrible people known to man, it was that they had all learned to trust their instincts. Prince Ben, with his cheerful smile, perfect manners, and handsome face had indeed set of more than one alarm within their minds. Whatever his endgame was, all of them were certain that it had nothing to do with helping them or any other kids from the Isle.

His gaze was nearly lecherous as he watched Mal from his position by the door. While Jay was sure Mal knew she was being watched, he doubted she knew of the way Ben was looking at her. His gaze was filled with lust, his desire for Mal written clearly on his face for all to see. Although apparently no one in Auradon would be able to seem past his smile. Jay’s hands clenched into fists at his side. He shared a look with Carlos, who he could tell shared his desire to get out of the Prince’s presence as soon as possible.

 

On the other side of the store, Mal stiffened as she once again felt the eyes of the Prince on her. Evie shot a quick glance over her shoulder and frowned.

“He’s looking at you like you’re a piece of meat.” Evie whispered to Mal, her voice dripping with disdain.

“He’s the Prince, I doubt he even knows how to look at someone like that.” Mal protested.

“For someone who doesn’t know how to do it, he is doing a pretty good job.” Evie resisted the urge to grab Mal’s hand or put her arm around her. They had never been able to show their affection for one another while around anyone other than Carlos and Jay. On the Isle, the fact that they were both girls didn’t matter but the fact that they were the daughters of Maleficent and Evil Queen put a large target on their backs. They couldn’t show a weakness like that. Taking a deep breath, Evie calmed herself down and followed Mal to the rows filled with packages of paper and notebooks.

 

Once they all had their supplies, they met Ben back at the door, where a petite brunette was hanging off his arm. “Guys, this is Audrey.”

“Princess Audrey, his girlfriend.” The girl corrected him, a bright smile on her face as she grabbed his hand.

“She and I are both staying just down the hall from you, so if you need anything feel free to ask.” Ben told them. “I have to go to tourney practice now, do you guys need help getting back to the dorms?” The shook their heads. “Alright see you later.” He kissed Audrey’s cheek, glanced back at Mal and then walked away from them. Evie let out a deep breath once he was gone.

“There you four are!” Fairy Godmother rounded the corner, pulling a shorter boy with her. “This is Doug, he’s going to go over your class schedule with you.”

“Hey guys,” Doug gulped. “I’m Dopey’s son.” Evie shot him a dazzling smile and he swallowed again. “Um, you guys have pretty basic classes, English, Chemistry, Algebra and, uh, Remedial Goodness 101.”

“Let me guess,” Mal spoke, clearly surprising Audrey who had thought they didn’t know how to talk, “new class?” Mal scoffed slightly while Doug nodded. “Let’s head back to our dorms guys.” Evie, Jay and Carlos followed her out.

“They seem nice,” Doug said to Audrey.

“I still don’t think Ben should have brought them here.”

“Give them a chance Audrey, they might surprise you.”

“Do you know what her mother did to…”

“Yes, Aubrey everyone knows, but you can’t blame the children for sins of the parents. Maybe you need to be in the Remedial Goodness class.” Audrey scoffed as she walked away from the boy.

 

After dropping their things off in their dorm, Jay and Carlos followed Mal and Evie to their room.

“Alright now we can finally get to work.” Mal said as she drew the curtains closed. They all gathered around the table as Jay pulled a laptop out from behind his back. None of the others questioned where the device had come from. “E, mirror me.”

“Mirror, mirror, in my hand where is Fairy Godmothers wand stand?” Evie said after taking a moment to come up with the rhyme. After fiddling with the zoom on the device, they finally learned that they wand was being held in the museum.

“Where is that?” Mal turned to Carlos who was typing away on the computer.

“Two point three miles from here.”

“Alright, here’s the plan. We wait until lights out and then we’ll sneak off. Evie, bring the mirror and I’ll bring my spell book. After we get the wand, we’ll need to find the limo that brought us here so we can get back to the Isle.”

“We can do this.” Evie said, more to ensure Mal that they were all still on board more than anything else. “For now, go get something to eat. We’ll come get you when it’s time.”

As the boys walked out, Mal shut down the laptop and braced her hands on the table. Evie rose from her chair and stepped up behind Mal. Slowly, making sure Mal knew she could move away if she wanted too, Evie wrapped both arms around Mal’s waist and placed her head on the shorter girl’s shoulder.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Evie asked her, feeling Mal sag against her.

“Do we have a choice?” Mal shook her head. “We have to do this. The sooner the better. We’ve already been here too long.” Mal turned in Evie’s arms, placing her forehead in the crook of Evie’s neck. “We can do this, because we’re rotten.”

“To the core.” Evie finished their phrase, holding Mal as close as she could.

The hall lights were turned off soon after the four of them returned to the girls’ room after the most filling meals of their lives. They were unaware that food could be like that. They all shared a look before entering the hall. Evie gave one last, longing look to the dorm room, and before she pulled the door closed and followed the others out.

The journey to the museum was made in silence as they all crept around just like they did on the Isle. Breaking in was almost too easy with the aid of Mal’s spell book, which they used to put the guard to sleep and unlock the door without setting off any alarms. They followed Evie’s mirror, honestly Mal was still a little shocked that the Evil Queen had given it to her daughter, in the direction of the wand until the stumbled upon a room.

The Gallery of Villains main exhibit just so happened to be life-sized replicas of the four worst villains: Cruella de Vil, Jafar, Evil Queen and Maleficent. They each gasped as their parents came into view. Carlos stared at his mother, depicted with puppies running around her across a bridge. All he could see was a woman with crazy eyes running towards him with a stick. Jay looked to his father, standing tall and proud, and could only see a fist swinging towards him and smell the alcohol on his breath.

Evie could only hear her mother’s voice in her head, telling her that she wasn’t pretty enough, or tall enough, or skinny enough to ever win a Prince. She could almost feel the sharp lashes to her back as her mother spoke. Mal heard her mother’s laugh, cruel and dripping with hatred even in her mind. Faintly, she felt a burning on her back, where she knew the worst scar her mother had ever given her lay.

“Let’s get out of here.” Evie’s voice shook as she spoke. She and the two boys left the room quickly, followed by Mal a few moments later, once the purple-haired girl felt like she was in control of herself again.

They finally made it into the room that housed Fairy Godmother’s wand, held in midair and surrounded by a blue force field. They shared a smile as they surrounded it, Jay ducking under the railing.

“Jay, wait.” Mal ordered but the taller boy ignored her. He reached for the wand, only to be thrown back by an unseen force as an alarm blared through the room.

“A force field and an alarm?” Jay yelled. “That seems just a bit excessive.”

“We gotta go!” Carlos and Evie led the way back to the door they had come in from, Carlos pausing long enough to answer the phone and stop the alarm without letting the security team know they had actually been trying to steal anything.

As they ran away, Mal berated Jay. “Great job! Now we have to go to school tomorrow.”


End file.
